Palette holder



May 16, 1961 O.J.BERGENGREN PALETTE HOLDER Filed Oct. 7, 1958 HVVENTDR. OR/SSA J.

ATTOPNEKS PALETTE HOLDER Orissa J. Bergengren, 445 Collingwood St., San Francisco, Calif.

Filed Oct. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 765,775

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-124) This invention relates to a holder for an artists palette and has for one of its objects the provision of means for securely supporting such palette on an artists easel in a position on the latter where it is most convenient to the artist and readily accessible to the artist when a convas or board for a painting is also supported on said easel.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a holder for an artists palette that is light in weight, compact, economical to make, rugged, and that may easily be removed or collapsed for carrying when the artist is not painting or is moving to or from a location.

Heretofore most easel supports have been in the form of paint boxes having easel legs attached thereto, the palette being carried on the box. These box-easel combinations are quite complicated, expensive, and weighty, and the position of the palette is dependent upon the position of the box, and usually the palette is supported in a position that interferes with free access to the box. Furthermore, in this easel-box structure, the shape and size of the palette is one that must conform to the shape and size of the box. These many disadvantages have discouraged the general use of the box-easel combinations for the reason that most artists prefer easels that are not restricted by reason of the requirements of a box, and also artists usually prefer palettes that correspond to those used in their studio work, and with which they are most familiar. Such palettes may be, and usually are of the type that may be supported on one arm of the painter, if desired.

The present invention provides palette supporting means that may be attached in a few seconds time to the two legs of a conventional three legged easel that support the canvas or board on which a painting is to be made. This pallette supporting means is capable of accomrnodating any palette of any shape and size and is adapted to support such palette any desired distance below the canvas where the paint on the palette will be most conveniently located for use by the painter who is standing or sitting in front of the easel and is painting on the canvas or board. The palette supporting means of this invention holds the palette against accidental dislodgement due to wind or to accidental striking thereof by the artist, and yet the palette can be instantly removed for carrying on the arm of the artist during painting, or when the painting session is finished and the easel is collapsed for removal, and the palette can be instantly replaced on the palette supporting means. The palette supporting means is also such that it may remain on the easel, if desired, and may be collapsed and adjusted on the easel to take up a minimum of space, and itsweight is negligible.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the drawings and in the description.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an easel with the easel supporting means thereon and with a palette on said means.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

2,984,443 Patented May 16, 1961 Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view, partly in section, showing one of the two palette supporting means.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In detail, a conventional, three legged easel is shown in Fig. l and is generally designated 1. Two of the legs 2 of said easel carry any suitable canvas or board supports 4 that are vertically adjustable on legs 2 for supporting a canvas or board 5 at the level. the painter desires. The third leg 6 is the bracing leg that supports the legs 2 in a position shown in Fig. 1 and the easel may or may not have an arm 7 at its upper end for holding the canvas or board in the desired plane.

The precise easel employed is not being claimed herein, and it is immaterial insofar as this invention is concerned whether the legs are wooden and of rectangular cross sectional contour or are of tubular metal, and it is likewise immaterial whether each of the legs is of telescopically related sections for extension and. collapse, or whether they are of other structure permitting extension or collapse, or Whether they are collapsible or not. 'The invention is applicable to any of the three-legged easels and to any easel having a pair of legs for supporting the canvas.

The palette holder comprises a pair of clamps each of which is generally designated 8, and each clamp is alike, hence a description of the clamp shown in Figs. 2, 3 will suffice for both.

Each clamp preferably comprises a generally U-shaped metal strap providing a pair of spaced opposed legs 9, 10 connected at one of their corresponding ends by the section 11 of the strap that forms the closed end of the U. A leg 10 of the clamp is extended at 12, this extension being preferably in a direction that is angularly away from the open side of the U.

Legs 9, 10 are spaced apart a sufficient distance to receive leg 2 of the easel therebetween, and this width is such that legs of different diameters may be readily positioned between said legs.

Said pair of legs 9, ltl are formed with coaxial openings adjacent to their outer ends for a rigid, open-ended tubular member 13 (Fig. 3) that is adapted to extend through said openings to extend across the open side of the clamp. This tubular member may be held in its position so extending across the open side of the U clamp by rubber sleeves or collars 14 frictionally held on the ends of said member that project from the oppositely outwardly facing sides of the legs of said clamp, and if desired, the section of the member 13 between the legs 9, 10 may be covered with a rubber sleeve.

A thumb or finger screw 15 threadedly extends through the clamp at approximately the juncture between the leg 10 and extension 12, hence extends at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the axis of the mem ber 13. This screw may have a swivel head 16 thereon adapted to stationarily engage leg 2 when the screw is rotated by the fingers, as seen in Fig. 2.

This position of the screw 15 not only is suchthat the finger engaging head 17 thereof is directed generally toward a painter that is at the front side of the easel in painting position, but it enables the screw to most efficiently engage a leg 2 of any cross sectional contour and to urge such leg into simultaneous frictional engagement with leg 9 and the member 13 whereby the full pressure of the easel leg 2 will not be solely confined to a single point of engagement between the easel leg 2 and the member 13 or the leg 9 of the clamp.

A generally right angle clip 18 is preferably secured to the outer end of the extension 12, as by a rivet 0r pivot 19 extending through one arm 20 of the clip and the outer 3 end of said extension, so that the other arm 21 will be spaced above the extension 12 and will extend generally horizontally at right angles tosaid extension.

This arm 21 is adapted to extend over the palette 22 (Fig. 2) along the edge of the latter that is adjacent to the nearest leg 2 of the easel, as seen in Fig. 2, and an elon gated rod 23 slidably extending through the tubular member 13 is formed with a return bend 24 at one end that is adapted to extend over the palette 22 along the edge thereof that is generally opposite to the edge over which the clip 18 extends.

Rods 23 (there being one for each clamp on each leg 2), will support the palette 23 thereon in a very stable condition, since the arms 21 of clips 18 extend over the marginal portion of the easel that is nearest to each leg 2, and the return bends 24 will extend over the marginal portions of the palette that are generally opposite to the clips 18. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 it will be noted that the clips 18 are more widely spaced from each other than the return bends 24 which adds to the stability of the palette. Also it should be noted that the palette is spaced from the legs 2 (Fig. 2) and also any desired shape of palette may be used.

It is not necessary that the rod 23 be tightly held in each member 13, but it is preferable that it be slidable so as to enable the palette to be removed when desired by mere moving the palette away from the easel until the palette clears the arms 21 of clips 18. Normally the rods have a slidable fit in members 13 so as not to wobble around unduly, and since the easel legs 2 will always have a rearward incline in an upward direction relative to vertical, there is no tendency for the rods to slide out of the members 13, but instead, they will tend to slide toward palette holding position. Obviously the members 13 may be longer than is illustrated and rods 23 may then be shorter, where said members 13 terminate generally at the legs 9, or slightly outwardly thereof, an adequate bearing is provided for the rods 23, and when the latter are removed the clamps may remain tightly on the easel legs when the easel is collapsed, ready for reinsertion of rods 23 when the easel is again set up for use.

It should be noted that by making the rivet 19 to provide a friction fit, the clip 18 may be rotated about the axis of the rivet, so that clamps 8 may be identical for each leg 2 of the easel, there being no need for a right and a left clamp. It is merely necessary to rotate one clip 18 to a position opposite to the other in order to obtain the legs 21 of each clip uppermost when the clamps are secured on the legs, as seen in Fig. l, and when each clip is so rotated, it will preferably be frictionally held in its desired position.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4, 5, each of the two palette supports comprises an elongated rigid strip 27 that is adapted to be held in adjusted position on each leg 2 of the easel by a generally U-shaped clamping strip 28 having apertured coplanar ears 29 extending oppositely outwardly from the ends of the U. Each leg 2 is adapted to be received in the U of each clamping strip 28, and to be held by each such clamping strip tightly against one end of the easel supporting strip 27 by use of bolts 30 that extend through openings in the said one end of strip 27 that are aligned with the openings in ears 29. These bolts preferably have wing nuts 31 to enable quick tightening and loosening of the clamps by the fingers.

One of the openings 32 in strip 27 through which one of the bolts 33 extends is preferably elongated longitudinally of the strip 27, so as to facilitate sliding the clamping strip 28 from clamping relation to the leg 2 upon loosening, but not removing, the nut on the bolt that extends through the elongated opening 32, and upon removing the bolt that extends through the other aligned openings. This operation is only performed when each clamp is removed from each leg 2, since adjustment of the clamps on the legs can be accomplished by merely loosening one or both of the nuts 31.

Each strip 27 is of suflicient length to project from each leg 2 of the easel a sufiicient distance to provide a substantial support for the palette 22, and each clamping strip 28 carries a finger 33 that is adapted to extend over the edge of the palette adjacent to leg 2 so as to prevent the edges of the palette nearest to legs 2 from moving upwardly when the palette is supported on strips 27.

A generally hook shaped member 34 for each strip 27 is adapted to receive the edge of the palette that is remote from the legs 2, each such member having an upper portion 35 that corresponds to the return bend 24 of the rods 23 and below portion 35 is a projection 36 adapted to extend below the palette. A helical spring 37 is connected at one end with projection 36 and the opposite end of the spring is secured to a pin 38 that is slidably held in a slot 39 in strip 27 that extends longitudinally of the latter. Branches 40 of slots 39 may open into the latter at spaced points along the latter, and into which pin 38 may slide to enable the member 34 to yieldably hold palettes of different widths without exerting too little or too great a tension on the palettes. Since these branch slots 40 extend slantingly toward the outer end of each strip 27 the pins 38 will be securely held against the closed end of each branch by spring 37 when in such branch. In the drawings, Fig. 4, the pin 38 is held at the outermost end of the main slot 39. A head 41 on each pin 38 will prevent each pin from removal from each of the strips 27, it being understood that the spring is inseparably secured to the other end of the pin that is opposite to head 41.

It is to be understood that the claims are intended to cover such modifications of the invention as may be made in the structure specifically described, and that come within the scope of the claims.

For example, the angular extensions 12 preferably extend generally toward each other when attached to the easel, which is particularly desirable where the palette is small. If desired, extensions 12 may extend away from each other. The various adjustments of the elements of the clamps as described make it possible for the painter to adapt the clamps to palettes of different shapes and sizes.

I claim:

1. In combination with an easel having a pair of convergently upwardly extending legs, a pair of horizontally elongated bars respectively projecting laterally from each of said legs and outwardly of said easel to generally the same side of said pair of legs for supporting a palette generally horizontally on said pair of bars with one of the edges of said palette adjacent to said legs, means for securing said bars to said legs for slidable movement of said bars longitudinally thereof to project different distances from said same side of said legs, and means adjacent to opposite ends of said bars when said bars are secured by said first mentioned means to said legs but project their maximum distances from said same side of said legs for extending over palettes of different widths along opposite edges of the latter when one of such palettes is supported on said bars for holding said pflette against accidental dislodgement from said bars in an upward direction, said last mentioned means being two pairs of elements, one of said pairs of elements being at the ends of said bars that are remote from said legs and movable therewith upon said longitudinal movement of said bars and the other pair of said elements being carried by said first mentioned means adjacent to each of said legs and stationary relative to said movement of said bars.

2. In combination with an easel having a pair of convergently upwardly extending legs, a clamp on each leg movable to difierent levels thereon and means carried by said clamp for securing the same at any of saidv levels as desired, means carried by each clamp adjacent to the leg to which it is secured projecting thereabove for engagement over an edge of a generally horizontally disposed palette when said edge is adjacent to said legs, palette supports below said last mentioned means projecting substantially horizontally away from said clamps and carried by the latter and on which supports such palette is adapted to be supported in a substantially horizontal position, and palette engaging means on said supports adapted to extend over the edges of said palette that are opposite to the edges that are adjacent to said legs, said supports being slidable bodily on said clamps for carrying said palette engaging means different distances away from said legs to enable said palette engaging means to extend over the edges of palettes of difierent widths.

3. A palette holder for attachment to a pair of legs on an upright easel comprising: a pair of clamps respectively adapted to be releasably secured to said legs including movable means thereon actuatable for tightening said clamps on said legs and for releasing them, a pair of bars respectively carried by said clamps in generally horizontally extending positions projecting away from said easel and from said legs when said clamps are tightened on said legs for extending below opposite ends of said palette, each of said clamps including first palette engaging means projecting therefrom for extending over the upper side of such palette at points adjacent thereto, and second palette engaging means on the outer ends of said bars remote from said clamps adapted to extend over the upper side of said palette at spaced points re mote from said clamps and along the edge of such palette opposite to said first palette engaging means and means on said clamps comprising portions thereof and of said first palette engaging means supporting said bars for sliding longitudinally thereof relative to said clamps for moving said second palette supporting means diiTerent distances from said clamps for engaging over the edge of palettes of difierent widths.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

